ACTS: A Way to Pray

Wednesday, January 26

ACTS: A Way to Pray

Psalm 135:1-7

Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord; give praise, O servants of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God! Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praises to his name, for it is pleasant! For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession. For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

Adoration:

Dear Lord, I praise you for both your goodness as well as your greatness!

In your goodness, I belong to you. Because of your sacrificial love, you call me "chosen"; you call me "your possession."

And in your greatness, you rule over all the happenings in nature. You are in charge of every streak of lightning from the sky, every gust of wind through the trees, and each raindrop that falls to the ground.

You are all loving AND all powerful!

Confession:

Forgive me for not always dwelling on your magnitude and your mercy. When I forget who you are, I get lost in my own emotions and create my own unnecessary storms. Forgive me for showering my problems with the unfounded fears of “what ifs.” Forgive me for my lack of faith that causes me to act quickly on my own accord rather than rest calmly in you.

Thanksgiving:

Thank you for your powerful words, "Hush, be still"! Time and again, you settle my heart with your peace, and for that I am so grateful. Thank you for pulling me back into your loving arms and reminding me that you are the "fixer" and I am not. I hear your sweet, strong words, "I am yours and you are mine."

Supplication:

Please Lord, hold me close. Help me to let go of my "stuff" and instead, hold onto you. Help me to meditate on your goodness and your greatness rather than my worries and my fears. May your name become pleasant to my soul! Fill my heart with song so that I will be a poured-out-vessel of your truths, so others can know you.

I pray all these things in Jesus’ name. Amen. Use these verses and ACTS to write your own personal prayer in your journal.

Questions to ponder: Do you play the "what if" game, and get caught up in unnecessary fears? Or, are you a "fixer", and take matters into your own hands before bringing them to the Lord? As you can see in my prayer, I am guilty of both! I'm thankful for his patient love as he continues to groom and grow me day after day. He is good and He is great!